Rebirth
by Luki Dimension
Summary: A tragic incident involving Leon's brother brings to light an old contract from within D's shop.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello all.  
I've written a couple of (very, very bad) PSOH fanfictions before, but none that have really been decent enough to show. This first chapter has been lounging around in my hard drive for god knows how long, but I think its good enough to bring out into the light of day.  
Enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 1

D knew something was wrong the moment his eyes opened. He rarely woke up before dawn on the best of days of his own accord, but the shop was calling to him.

Sitting up in his bed, he listened to the sounds of his home. His pets were all asleep, and none had slipped out during the night. There was no threat that he could feel, inside or out, so what?

Finally, the answer came to him. An old contract of his fathers, possibly even his grandfather's, had ended. Normally, the shop wouldn't wake him for such a simple matter, most animals in the older contracts died of natural causes long before their owners, and the contracts become worthless scraps of paper.

But the animal of this contract was still alive, and instinct would try to lead it back to the pet shop. If it didn't return of its accord, D would have to find the contract within the massive collection, find out what pet had been sold, and where he might be able to find it.

The Kami sighed, falling back onto his bed and closing his eyes. He would worry about it tomorrow. There was little he could do tonight.

* * *

It had been a fairly typical day for Jill. The coffee was too strong, a regular flow of thugs came in from the streets, and Leon had spent hours ranting about the pet shop, driving everyone in hearing distance up the proverbial wall. 

Until the phone call came.

Leon ripped the phone from its holster, snapping a reply in his usual manner. But as the voice on the other end spoke, his face lost the angry snarl, paling several shades at the news. Slowly, he moved the phone from his ear, staring at it as if he'd never seen one before, and placed it back down. He continued to stare at it for several minutes, before Jill gathered up the nerve to approach him.

"Leon..." she began. "What happened?"

His gaze reached hers, before the blonde detective got to his feet and walked past her, as if in a daze. He didn't seem to hear the voices calling after him.

* * *

Despite the distance between the precinct and China Town, Leon never went near his car, walking down the streets oblivious to everything. When he eventually reached his destination, Count D was at the bottom of the steps. Had Leon been in better shape, he might have taken pride in the fact that D seem genuinely surprised to see him, although that could have been due to the deadness in the Americans eyes. 

"Detective?"

Leon just brushed past him, entering the shop and sitting down in his regular seat. As D followed, his eyes widened in suspicion. The Detective rarely took two steps into the store without getting attacked or greeted by at least one of his pets, but today, not even T-Chan seemed willing to go near him, all were keeping their distance with wariness in their eyes.

More than a little unnerved at the behaviour, D sat opposite the man, trying to catch his eyes.

"Detective? Leon?"

Leon looked up, his expression broken. Finally, he uttered the first three words since the phone call. Three words that hit Count D and his pets like a bomb.

"Chris is dead."

* * *

D had been intending on leaving the pet shop's doors open as long as he could so that the pet from the ended contract could return on its own, but as he watched his Detective retreat up the stairs, he was unsure if he could handle any other human contact. 

There were few animals that grieved the loss of others, but the mood in the front store was that of mourning. T-Chan had crawled underneath one of the chairs, hidden from sight, while Pon-Chan was openly snivelling, a few of the younger pets trying, and failing to cheer her up. Q-Chan had merely perched on D's shoulder, letting the Kami know he was there if he needed comforting.

D made the decision and closed early, stroking Q-Chan as he headed for the records room, Leon's visit still repeating in his mind.

* * *

The Kami looked at Leon in horror as the man ran a hand through his messy hair. 

"Happened last night. My aunt was driving him back from a friends house when another car hit them at the junction. Car went flying. My Aunts still in hospital, but Chris was gone before help arrived."

Leon's hand clenched. "The other driver was over the limit, but the bastard got out of it with only a few scrapes."

D didn't even need to fake emotions for this event. His own sadness was all too real.

"I am sorry Leon. He was a wonderful child."

However, it seemed that there could be no words that could comfort his friend.

* * *

He would have to make preparations for the funeral. Hopefully, the issue of the missing pet would be resolved by then. 

He smiled as he looked around the room, contracts were gathered in piles, bursting out of desks, cabinets, shelves and anything else that had found its way into the stores record room. It was a rather unorthodox filing system, and it would take a human days to find anything in here. It was a good thing D was no such thing.

He started in his grandfather's contracts, fingers brushing against the paper searching for the power of an ended contract. It proved fruitless, meaning the pet had been one of his fathers. That was rarely a good thing; despite being a nature god, his father had rarely been kind towards his pets. He only hoped that whatever it was wouldn't begin eating the local population. He'd eluded Leon's attempts to arrest him on his contracts, and without one to hold this one down...

On the plus side, the contract had ended, which meant the owner had died of causes other than a broken contract, and if he had survived this long without fault, it was unlikely he had anything to worry about. Besides, Leon would be grieving over his lost brother for the next few days.

D paused in his search, his smile fading. He had been fond of Chris, as had the animals. The driver of that car had better never set foot in Chinatown, or D would administer his own brand of justice, provided his dear detective didn't get there first.

Finally, his nail's stopped on a piece of parchment. This was it. Lifting it from the file, D read over the terms, noting the date, less than twenty years ago. He'd inherited the pet store not long after that date. The pet had probably been one of the last his father ever sold.

His eyes widened in delight as he realised what had been sold, and what could soon be in his possession.

'_A Winged Lion? I thought they had died out! Father, how were you willing to part with him?'_

A look at the name on the contract however, stopped D in his tracks. He read it repeatedly, unable to believe it, before turning to Q-Chan.

"This is impossible."

Q-Chan squeaked in agreement, and the two looked back at the name, written in a child's scrawl.

'_Leon Orcot.'_

To be Continued . . .

_

* * *

_

R&R


	2. Chapter 2

Now originally, this chapter was going to be longer, but then I realised that A) I know nothing about funerals, and B) I haven't really lost anyone close to me so can't really express the pain of losing them as well as I'd like. Ergo, I'm sorry for the sheer glossiness of the majority of this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 2 

_He was in his true form, huddled behind the curtains, careful to stay as quiet as he could. The master didn't like it when he strayed from his room._

_But the presence he had sensed grew stronger the closer he went to the shop front. His kind were born to protect, and the being he could sense cried of weakness it could not control. It needed him._

_Lifting the curtain with his head, his eyes caught sight of the master, speaking to two grown humans, both of whom were visibly strained. But neither of them were the one calling him._

_His eyes flashed as he caught sight of a young boy sitting on the couch, leaning back as if exhausted. Taking his chances, he slinked out from the curtains, and huddled at the back of the opposite couch. As his head turned round the corner, he caught the child's blue eyes in his own equal blues._

_This child was calling for him, he knew without a doubt._

_He didn't care if the master saw him now, he would never go against his instincts, especially not one as strong as this._

_He leapt into the boy's arms, and his cry of shock mixed with delight brought three pairs of eyes to the duo on the couch. _

_His master's gold eyes flashed dangerously._

"_Ale-!"

* * *

_

Leon's eyes flew open as his body jolted awake, and immediately winced from the pain in his head. He sat on his bed in the darkness, waiting for his heart to calm down.

'_What the hell was that? A dream'_

He ran a hand through his hair, wincing from the pain. From the number of cans on the floor, and the lack of evening memory, he'd drunk himself to sleep after coming from the pet shop, rather than deal with the depression sober.

His head thudded back against his pillow, finally feeling his heart stop pounding. That dream, what the hell did it mean?

And the man. The 'master'. His faced had been hidden, even in the dream. Only the eyes had been clear. The bright, inhuman gold.

Immediately, D's face flashed through his brain, but was pushed back as he tried to remember what the man had said. 'Ale-' something. A name?

"Ale…"

His eyes widened as a name he hadn't voiced since he was seven.

"Aleser…"

Why was he dreaming about his missing pet cat?

* * *

Similar to Leon, D hadn't gotten much sleep that night either. The contract had refused to leave his mind, and the paper now showed the signs of a well worn piece of parchment after being brought out almost every two minutes, in an attempt to find something, anything, that would explain the impossibility of the name on the contract. 

Certainly, his immediate thought had been that it was a different Orcot. There were billions of people in the world; his detective could hardly be the only Leon to have the name

But the pet shop had proven him wrong. The pet shop was as alive as its master, and remembered everyone who came through its doors. When D had questioned the contract, the shop had confirmed in its own comforting presence, that his Leon Orcot was the contracted Leon Orcot.

But how could it be? The contract had ended without the death of the pet, which meant the owner had to have died. Admittedly, there were some animals that were known to continue certain wishes of their masters even after their death that could keep a contract going (Dogs were often a prime example).

But regardless of this, the owner was still dead, and his Leon Orcot had been perfectly alive when he had visited yesterday, and it hadn't been that long since he'd seen a ghost that he could not tell the difference between the dead and the living. And as far as D was aware, Leon did not own a pet in any form. So where was the lion?

With this in mind, D could honestly admit he was stumped.

He began researching winged lions, hoping to find something that would help explain the confusing situation, while waiting for Leon to visit. If anyone could give him the missing puzzle piece, it would be him.

But over the next few days, Leon remained absent from the shop. The one time D had ventured from his shop to the dump his detective called home, Leon hadn't been there.

Eventually, it had been Jill who had visited him, explaining that Leon had gone to help with preparations, the funeral happening at the end of the week.

Out of respect for Chris, D closed up shop that day, and blocked any thoughts of the contract from his mind.

* * *

Leon hated funerals. The pain of watching friends fall in the line of duty was an inevitability, but he'd forgotten just how…raw, the pain of losing family could be. His father had died before Chris was born, his mother discovering her late pregnancy later. He'd been too busy helping her stay comfortable and preparing for his new brother to truly mourn. When his mother had joined him after Chris came into the world, he'd mourned both. 

And yet this death gripped him in more agony than he cared to accept. He'd only just managed to start bonding with his brother. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't it have been him?

He knew his relatives were worried about him. He'd barely eaten or slept since he'd arrived, and although his short temper seemed to have been left at home, this depressed creature of silence was far less easier to deal with.

But he was never hungry, and sleep only seemed to bring old memories of Aleser, which were now accompanied by throbbing pain that took hours to clear. He couldn't remember why he was thinking of his old pet cat, although he vaguely remembered having similar dreams for months after his mother's death.

On the day of the funeral, Leon stood in silence as the coffin entered the ground, oblivious to any other mourner. His hands clenched as he stood next to his uncle, his mind wishing for a hundred things he could never get.

"Why did it have to be him? This never should have happened."

His uncle nodded. "It's not right kid, believe me I know it. That bastard should be locked up. If there's any justice in the system he will be."

Leon shook his head. "That won't help Chris. Dammit. Why-"

He broke off, wincing as a jolt of pain flew through his head. His uncle, hearing the hesitation, turned to him.

"Leon?"

The pain intensified, and both of his hands grabbed his hair, pulling harshly on the strands, ripping them from the ponytail. He felt his knees buckle, and was unconscious before he hit the ground.

"LEON!"

* * *

In the darkness of his mind, Leon felt a memory brush past him, filling his head with a vicious, unrivalled pain. 

_Leon sat on the couch, leaning against it as he kept his eyes open._

_He was always so tired now. The doctors told him it was a side effect of the medication, and he'd feel worse without it, but he wished he didn't have to keep taking it. Nobody wanted to play with him now that he couldn't run around too much._

_That was why his parents had taken him to this pet shop, to give him a friend to keep him company, possibly a dog. But what was the point if he couldn't take it for walks?_

_Just then, he caught a flash of movement behind the opposite couch, and he found himself staring at a very odd looking cat. It was covered in soft yellow fur, like that of a kitten and had bright blue eyes. But it was far too big to be a kitten, with the head of a full-grown cat, which had to reach his father's knee at least. The oddest part however, was the two stumps protruding from its back._

_Suddenly, the cat jumped over, and landed in his lap. It drooped over him, as if his lap was tailor made for the animal. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Leon felt excited._

_He stroked the cat's back, going over the bumps on its back. He wondered if the lumps were meant to be there, or if the animal was sick. He positioned it properly in his arms, and stood up from the couch._

"_Mom, can I have him?" he asked, eyes brightening as the cat purred in satisfaction. _

_The owner of the shop didn't look happy._

"_Aleser!"_

The memory suddenly flashed white, and Leon's fuddled brain realised that another vision was coming. The pain that had come with the previous one leaking away as it came into clarity.

_He had been right. The master wasn't just angry with him, he was furious._

_Immediately after the boy had declared the desire to own him, his master had been pounced upon by the two adults, telling him to name his price. As expected, the Kami had resisted, but had eventually realised that he could not stop a pet from leaving if it so desired, regardless of its rarity. It went against the rules of the pet shop._

_As he heard the contract being drawn up, he reluctantly left the boys arms in order for him to sign. His eyes watched the scribble tie the two together, but couldn't help but think it was a ridiculous request._

_Leon did not need to take care of Aleser. Aleser would take care of Leon. It was what he was destined to do.

* * *

_

Leon was carried by two members of his family to a bench, hoping that the detective had merely fainted and would wake up soon. As they placed him down, both felt a slight breeze, lightly passing the two and fading into nothing. Neither of them were capable of even considering that it was a force of power leaving Leon's body, leaving a hidden seal fresh and unprotected.

Unknown to everyone, even himself, something in Leon had abruptly and permanently changed.

* * *

To be continued . . . 


	3. Chapter 3

Exam is over. I am free. I celebrate by getting another chapter up

Kita and Subu-chan, thank you for being more patient than I give you reason to be

* * *

Chapter 3 

It had been several days since the funeral and Leon's fainting spell, but he couldn't help but wonder if it had been the start of something worse. The last several days had passed in a blur, and it had only been at great reluctance that the Chief had allowed him back to work. Since he had returned, he'd been caught wandering around other departments, always in a daze, before returning to his desk.

Right now, to an onlooker, it appeared as if the detective was completely immersed in paperwork on his desk, but with a closer look, would see that the man had frozen, completely detached from everything around him.

To Jill, the complete look of apathy on a face usually vivid with emotion was hard to watch. She approached her friend slowly, before setting a hand on his shoulder.

"Leon? Leon!"

The blonde's eyes blinked, slowly, before comprehension set into him and his body came into awareness.

"Huh? Jill? What?"

Jill sighed, and sat down on the edge of his desk.

"Leon, you should really go see the counsellor or the Chief is going to force you off on medical leave. I know Chris meant a lot to you, but you're not going to be able to live if you don't let go."

Leon ran a hand through his hair, trying to quell the restless feeling that had arisen the moment Jill had started talking. "Look Jill, I'm fine. I'm just…having some trouble. Getting back into routine will be more helpful than forced leave or counselling."

'_So you say'_ Jill thought to herself. _'But this mindless wandering and spacing is hardly getting back into routine.'_

Well, if he wouldn't go and get professional help, Jill was certain she knew someone who could at least aid the pain.

"Look, have you gone to see D since you came back?" she asked. "I'm sure he'd want to know about the funeral since he couldn't be there himself."

Leon tried to ignore the burst of desire when Jill mentioned the pet shop, but the restless feeling increased, unable to be quelled, and Jill's words faded into the distance.

'Oh screw it' he inwardly sighed, and left his chair, cutting Jill off mid-way through whatever she been saying, and heading for the door.

* * *

Ten-Chan and T-Chan had been dozing on different ends of one of D's couches when Ten's ears pricked up. He lifted himself up and looked at the door in confusion, before turning and prodding the totetsu's shoulder. 

"Hey, Tetsu…"

Tetsu snorted and turned over. "G'way fox-boy. Sleeping"

Ten-Chan rolled his eyes, and kicked the totetsu off the couch.

"Get up!"

Naturally, the totetsu landed face first, and lunged at the kitsune fangs bared.

"You're dead fox!"

Ten-Chan easily leapt out of the way, and looked back at the door.

"Look, do you feel that?"

T-Chan glared at the kitsune. "Feel what?"

Ten-Chan grabbed T-Chan's head and forced it in the direction of the door. "Something's coming!"

T-Chan frowned. Now that he was actually concentrating, he 'could' feel something heading towards the shop. There was a definite air of magic about it, only found within the few mythical creatures left on the earth, but at the same time, it had the aura of a human, dull and blind to nature.

"Any idea what that is?" Ten-Chan asked, clearly confused. He'd lived longer than he cared to remember, but he'd never felt something that could feel like two completely different creatures at the same time. Even his own kind, who routinely took the forms of others, had the inherent 'aura' of kitsune.

"Not a clue" T-Chan snapped back, as whatever it was started coming down the stairs. "But…does it smell familiar to you?"

Before Ten-Chan could answer, the doors swung open, and both creatures jerked back in shock.

"LEON?"

* * *

"LEON?" 

D had been preparing tea in the back rooms when he heard the dual yelps, and headed to the source, wondering just what had gotten into Tetsu and Ten-Chan to make them so shocked at the Detectives appearance. Certainly, he hadn't been to the shop in several days after returning, but it had been inevitable.

The answer immediately came to him however, when he caught sight of the man still standing at the entrance, staring rather confused at two gaping creatures frozen on the couch. Leon's aura was leaking with myth and old magic, forces that did not mix with humans, especially not his human.

Nevertheless, D carefully applied his ever-present smile and walked towards Leon. Regardless of the circumstances, the Winged Lion had still not appeared, and Leon was the only one who had a chance of shedding some light on the situation.

"You're just in time for tea detective."

* * *

Leon took a sip of the tea, and his eyes started to glaze over while he stared at the rim. 

Over the two years or so that he'd visited the pet shop, regardless of whatever he was accusing D of, it always managed to make him relax. There was something about the warm, unusual, living atmosphere that managed to soothe his nerves.

But whatever magic the pet shop used to work, it wasn't working now. The restlessness, though it had become background noise since he'd entered, was still there, knocking on his brain whenever he was careless enough to ignore it.

He took another sip, and set the cup down, ignoring the pastries and other delicacies D had set out. The tea didn't seem to be helping his nerves for once, and he hadn't been very hungry since he'd come back home. What had been the last thing he'd eaten anyway?

Something pounced into his lap, and Leon jerked from his thoughts to find Pon-chan sitting on his lap, making herself comfortable while she chewed on a pastry. He carelessly stroked behind her ears, not making eye contact with anything.

On the opposite couch, D kept a close eye on his detective, curiosity and confusion glimmering his eyes. Q-Chan was eerily silent by his side.

Leon was not behaving normally. Certainly, bereavement did change ones habits, but this new addition to his aura, one that seemed to be growing stronger over time, made him wonder if there was something else at work.

Even T-Chan hadn't gone near him, huddled on the couch by D's side, growling every so often, intensifying when Pon-chan had chosen Leon as her new cushion. Tet had vanished not that long before. If he had any idea what to make of this revelation, D doubted he would surrender the information willingly.

Well, if nothing else, this somewhat dazed and not-altogether-here detective would be easier to get the information D was looking for.

The Kami stood up and began refilling the cups in one swift motion, focusing Leon's attention on him once again.

"You do not seem yourself today Leon" he began, catching the blonde's eyes with his own. "How have you been coping?"

Leon quickly looked away and picked up the cup once again.

"You sound like Jill. I've been fine. I'm getting over it. I just need some more time."

He brought the cup to his lips, then sighed and leaned to put it down again. For some reason the smell was making him slightly nauseous.

D's smile didn't budge, despite noticing the actions. Although the detective had shied away from the sweeter foods for some time after the rabbit incident, he would usually eat the better part of his body weight whenever he visited. And he always drank his tea. Now that he looked closer, Leon did appear to have lost some weight. Had he been eating properly?

Still, it was information he needed right now. He could coax his detective into eating something later.

"If you were one of my customers, I would recommend a pet" D continued. "Although, you have never been one for animals."

Pon-chan, in Leon's lap, rolled over in an apparent attempt to differ. Leon shifted slightly to give her more space.

"Not really" he replied. "Besides, my landlord's not one for pets."

"Have you never owned a pet Leon?" D asked. Admittedly, he had been expecting a much longer conversation before he could get to this point, but with this Leon's current nature, it barely seemed necessary.

Leon began to turn his head in the negative, before he stopped, thinking back to a dream not that long ago.

"Aleser…"

D's ears pricked up.

"Excuse me Detective?"

Leon sighed. "When I was ten, I was sick. Really, really sick, doctors were kind of surprised I survived I think. I could barely do anything, so my parents got me this pet cat. Aleser. But to be honest, I don't really remember much about him, only that he was the oddest cat I'd ever seen. Big, but with the kitten-ish look to him, and these two lumps on his back."

His eyes dimmed. "But I only had him for a couple of months, then he ran away. Everything else around that time is kind of hazy."

D frowned. "Ran…away?"

He was rewarded with a shrug. "That's what my parents said anyway. He might have gotten run over or something else, and they didn't have the heart to tell me. I was in hospital at the time. I had just started to recover, and they said they couldn't find him."

Well now, wasn't that an interesting piece of information? The lion, Aleser, had come into Leon's ownership when he had fallen ill, and had vanished around the same time Leon had begun to recover from what was apparently a deadly, if slow acting illness.

Q-Chan suddenly left D's shoulder and flew into the back, only to come back and squeak repeatedly in D's direction.

"Think your bat needs some attention" Leon muttered, and gingerly lifted Pon-chan, who had started to doze, onto the couch. The visit hadn't really calmed him down as much as Jill, and on some level himself, had hoped.

"I should go. See you D."

After what Leon had just said, D was hesitant to let him leave. But Q-Chan squeaked before D could stop his detective. As the blonde left the shop, D gave him another final look, and headed into the back, following the small bat bunny deeper into the shop.

* * *

He followed Q-Chan into a room filled with research books. There were volumes in here historians and archaeologists would have chewn their fingers off just to read the prologues of. Admittedly, it was in just as bad a state as the records room, but the bat bunny seemed to know what he was looking for. 

Q-Chan pushed over a stack of books, and fluttered over a desk. On a shelf hidden by the piece of furniture, there were a collection of books, which Q-Chan began tugging at.

Noting the titles, D went to his favourite pets aid. They were specifically to deal with lions, or the mythical beings related to them.

He was starting to have an inkling as to what had happened, but he needed to do more research on Winged Lions.

But he would have to confirm the answer soon. If he was right, he was going to need all the time he could get to convince Leon of the truth.

* * *

To be continued . . . 


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, chapter 4 is finally here, and will hopefully make a great many people happy. Why did it take so long? Several factors. Exams, starting to work night shift, moving flats, becoming obsessed with reading the four Catherine Webb books, and of course not actually knowing what was going into this chapter._

_You would not _**believe**_ the amount of re-writes this thing has had, and I'm STILL not happy with it. It was always the one chapter I never quite knew what was going to happen, since there were about 3 different scenes that I could have done. This was my favourite, but so hard since I haven't read PSOH in forever (and my friend has borrowed my entire collection). However, I need to start concentrating on making cosplays (Amecon is in less than a month and I have about 2 months worth of sewing to start) so I need to get all prior commitments out of the way._

_Anyway, thanks to everyone who put this story on story alert. If I had a pound for every other day I'd check my email and find someone else had added it, I'd be marginally less poor than I am now._

_Oh, and Sonny Boy? You're wrong but I wish to god I'd thought of the Chris reincarnation idea. If I thought I could make it work I probably would have added it, but I couldn't, so I didn't._

_Anyway, expect the next chapter sometime in August, unless I learn how to sow and type at the same time._

_R&R_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Night was falling when Leon finally stumbled back into his apartment, completely and utterly exhausted. His mood hadn't improved after returning from the pet shop, and he had little doubt that Jill would be seeing the chief and forcing him back on sick leave if nothing had changed by tomorrow.

He didn't bother turning on the lights, able to see well enough in the dark to get by, something he was pretty certain he hadn't been able to do a few weeks ago, but couldn't care less about right now compared with his other…issues.

He dropped files on a table before slumping down on his couch, holding his head in his hands and tossing his gun on top of the files. He might actually consider asking for it himself. Mental problems be damned, his body was in agony, his head was throbbing, every muscle ached, and he just wanted…

…To sleep…

* * *

In a far more mysterious part of town, Count D was trying to fight a similar desire, although he was being far more capable at suppressing it. Q-Chan had dozed off an hour or so ago however, and he hadn't had the heart to wake him. 

Winged Lions were even more mysterious than he had first thought. Even within his own library of books inherited with the pet shop, quite possibly the most impressive collection on legendary and magical beings in existence, wasn't shedding much light. He'd been searching the tomes for hours, and not found anything he could use to prove his theory.

He had however; found a short extract that had proved worrying.

'_To a winged lion, loyalty and guarding what is theirs is as necessary as breathing, and are born with this desire, willing to give their 'services' even to those who do not need it until a suitable master appears in their territory. This loyalty however, can be corrupted, and was a vital factor in the species decline and near-demise. Once their true master leaves this world, winged lions may find themselves with no option but to return to their previous master and begin the wait again.'_

If the book had said previous 'territory', D wouldn't have been worried. Aleser, regardless of the situation, would have eventually returned to the pet shop without any interference from D. But it said previous master…

It made him wish he'd paid more attention to his father's actions recently. Or at the very least know what part of the planet he was hiding in right now.

He discarded his current book and picked up another one. For now, this was all he could do, while keeping a mental eye on the detectives aura, which seemed to be switching more and more to myth and magic with every hour, for any more damaging changes.

Skimming over the contents of his newest selection, his eyes froze on a chapter title. 'The Unknown Gift – The Wish of the Master.'

He couldn't get to the page fast enough.

_

* * *

_

_Lifting his head up, Aleser noticed Leon watching a group of children his age running across the street, a football being kicked along as they headed down towards a park. _

"_You know, a month or two ago, I could have run circles round all of them."_

_Aleser meowed at the his masters melancholy, it wasn't something he liked to associate with his master, whose spirit was a thousand times stronger than his body. He crawled into the boys lap, leaning his large form on his chest and resting his head on his shoulder. Almost instinctively, Leon's hands came to rest on the large lumps on his back, stroking the soft fur, and he smiled at his pet._

"_I heard my mom on the phone this morning" he said, smile turning into a grin. "The doctors think they've got a treatment or something that'll help me. Then I can go play with everyone again. I can even play with you properly, I bet you'd like that."_

_As if to prove his point, Leon picked up a ball they had been playing with earlier. It was one of the many you could find in any simple pet shop, rubber with a bell inside that taunted any creature that tried to get at it. He tossed it across the garden, and although Aleser would have been content to remain on his master's lap, he darted after it, batting it across the grass and tossing it up with his paw. Hearing his master laugh from under the tree, Aleser was content._

* * *

Leon's eyes snapped open, his mind shoving his most recent dream to the back of his mind. There was someone else in his apartment. 

He didn't know how he knew, only that something in the small space had changed, and every bone in his body was on edge because of it. His hand reached for his gun on the table, only to hear a chuckle echo through the room.

"Now, now Aleser, there's no need to be frightened."

Leon grabbed the gun regardless, but God that voice sounded familiar.

The lights of the apartment were off, but he made out a shape leaning against a kitchen counter, a few sheets of paper in his hands.

The figures eyes moved from the papers to Leon's own, and the detective stepped back in mild fear.

'_Gold. Gold like…'_

He'd almost forgotten the first dreams he'd had, but there was little doubt the person in front of him was.

"Master" Leon whispered, gun going limp in his hands.

Apparently, that was exactly what 'master' had been looking for. A smirk graced his features, and he walked towards Leon, the papers under his arm.

"Ah, so you are starting to remember. That's good. The remainder of the seal should break easily enough."

* * *

Leon's pulse was hammering away at a ridiculous pace while he stood frozen, the figure in front of him picking at the sleeve of his shirt in obvious distaste. 

The figure looked like D, though the hair was far too long. The face, the natural poise, the detailed and expensive Chinese clothes, but the eyes… The colour and vicious intensity was wrong for D. If anything, this guy was Anti-D.

He couldn't begin to guess why his body seemed so on edge, but he wanted this man to leave. Now.

"Go away" he whispered, stepping back, wishing he hadn't sounded to weak. But if anything, the request seemed to amuse the Anti-D.

"I must admit, your shell has turned out to resemble you well," he said, ignoring the request. "Though perhaps that was more by design than coincidence. You and that boy did look so much alike."

He lifted his hand and placed it on Leon's cheek. "I wonder what will appear when the shell is ripped apart?"

It was like being thrown into a pool of cold water. One moment moving seemed too difficult a task to register, the next every muscle in Leon's body was ready to fight. He jerked his head from the mans hand and grabbed his arms to slam him into the counters behind him, papers dropping to the ground

"I said get out!" Leon hissed, inwardly pleased that the smirk had vanished during the impact. The man would not, could not, touch him. He wouldn't allow it.

Now the D look-alike just looked irritated. "I should have locked you up in your room until you reached maturity. Then maybe we could have avoided all of this."

Faster than Leon could follow, Anti-D's hands were on his arms, and pain raced through every fibre of his body. The sound his throat gave was barely human as he jerked back, releasing his captive, and his knees buckled, dropping him to the floor.

He felt like he was about to burst, as if his skin was being shrink wrapped. And his head…

Leon grabbed his temples and curled into himself, not noticing his teeth sharpen, his nails lengthen to points, or see the intruder pick up the discarded sheets. He was only aware that the man was even still there when he knelt in front of him, placing a page in front of Leon's view, smiling at the cat-like look the blonde's eyes had taken.

"Believe it or not, this is for your own good '_detective_'" Anti-D said, stressing 'detective' as if it was the funniest word he'd ever heard. "You are far too priceless to waste on protecting humanity. I think one more push should break most of the seal, and then its up to you. I'm sure you recognise this man. He is in town, visiting his parents I believe. You will not get a better opportunity."

Leon stared at the page with slitted pupils, noticing for the first time a photograph and patches of fabric attached to the paper, and his eyes narrowed even further.

That man…Jonathon Waverly. The owner of a BMW with a love for drink. Chris's killer.

Anti-D's voice whispered in his ear, "Your seal was finished with flesh and blood my young lion. It must be broken with the same."

Leon felt the man's hands on his back, and found his mind falling into darkness.

"Pleasant dreams…"

* * *

_"Leon! Dinner's ready" Aleser abandoned the ball and darted to his master's feet at the call. He had been entertaining Leon long enough to begin to see the sun set, and he dragged himself to his feet picking up the ball Aleser had batted over with his nose._

"_One last toss hey Alley?" he laughed, and threw the ball in the direction of the door, running after it. Aleser however, bolted past him, reaching the ball and batting it up the small step and slipping in the ajar door. He sat just next to it, ready to curl around his masters legs in victory when he arrived._

_However, when Leon didn't follow him within the next few seconds, his fur tensed, and he headed back out as Leon's mother opened the door herself._

"_Leon! Dinner's – LEON!"_

_Aleser yowled and bolted for the body collapsed on the grass, only to be pushed away by Leon's mother as she scooped her child into her arms and ran screaming for her husband._

_His ears drooped, though his mind hissed he deserved it._

_All he ever wanted, all he needed, was to protect his master, and he was failing…_

* * *

D closed the text with a heavy 'thud', and leaned back in his chair, letting this new information wash over him. 

His theory was correct; of this he was no certain. There were holes, but he was sure Leon could fill them in the next time he visited. Right now, he had best get some sleep so he could prepare to corner his more-than-human detective into accepting-

He gasped in shock as several miles away, Leon's seal was shattered into nothing but bare bones, leaving an aura even the youngest of his own mythical creatures could have sensed. Q-Chan jerked from his sleep in shock, wings flapping in surprise. Clearly he had been watching the detective's aura as well, even in sleep.

"Kyu kyu kyu!"

D nodded as the creature perched on his shoulder. "Yes, that can't have been normal. The seal should have weakened far more gradually."

"Kyu kyu kyu?"

D grimaced and headed for the entrance to the shop. "I hope not. If father is involved, this cannot end well for Le…for Aleser. We had best find him before he breaks the seal completely. Flesh and blood seals broken outside of pre-arranged conditions usually result in more police investigation than I prefer."

"Kyu."

* * *

To be continued . . . 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

The blonde man walked with a staggered gait, but managed to appear soundless and elegant at the same time. His hair had come loose as it grew out of the unkempt mullet into an equally t unkempt mane falling past his shoulders. 

Leon's face was glazed over as he stopped and sniffed the air, slightly changing direction. He was oblivious to his body's actions as his mind continued to remember.

* * *

_Leon's parents had been so distraught with their son, that they hadn't noticed Aleser leaping into the back of the car, or seen him hide to their shadows as they rushed into the local hospital. Despite his size, he was able to hide behind them right up until Leon was admitted, and stalked the doctor that entered Leon's room, gliding underneath the bed at the first available opportunity._

_He huddled right beneath Leon's pillow, keeping an ear on his master's vital signs. His breathing was laboured, and his heart seemed to be weakening. The other ear was on the voices outside, trying to be as quiet as possible, but still crystal clear to the feline._

"_What's happening? I thought you said you could help him!"_

"_This treatment was still experimentary" came a doctor's voice. "It was his best chance."_

_Another doctor came in. "Its no use I'm afraid. Leon doesn't seem to be reacting to the treatment. Unless something changes in the next hour, I don't know if there's anything else we can do."_

_Aleser had heard enough, slipping out from underneath the bed and jumping onto the chair by the side. If his master was doomed by human limits, there was only one thing he could do._

"_Leon? Wake up Leon!"_

* * *

D's heart tensed when he saw the open door of Leon's apartment, and only gave a light tap before entering. 

"Leon? Aleser?"

The room reeked of a powerful aura. Something of the old magic's had been ripped to shreds in this room, and the scent of something older. Something far more familiar.

'_Father, what were you doing here?'_

The tiny flat was abandoned, although it was an absolute mess. Papers were strewn across the floor and the kitchen. Some might have considered a struggle had taken place; others might have just attributed it to Leon's natural ability to make a mess.

Something caught his eye in the living room, and he knelt down beside it.

Leon's firearm. There was no way his Detective would do so much as run out for groceries without his gun. It was more of a habit by now.

'_So why did he leave it behind?'_

He whirled round, heading for the door and hoping he could follow the lingering magic's to the blonde 'man's' side.

'_Because he doesn't need it anymore.'_

* * *

Jonathon Waverly was not a bad man, merely weak. He was well aware that he was addicted to drink, and well aware that he couldn't stop. More than that – he didn't want to stop. 

The accident had been horrific, he'd been shaken. He'd wanted to stop, but whenever he didn't have drink in his system, it became crystal clear.

The crash, the pain, the screams.

So he kept drinking. Drinking to forget on top of his own desire for drink.

He stumbled out of the bar, letting the cool air brush around him, and leaned against the wall while he got his bearings. His old man was not going to be too happy when he came back like this. He'd only allowed Jon to stay on the agreement that he tried to get off the drink.

Not bothering to look for a taxi, he wandered in the general direction of home. He'd grown up around here, and he knew this part of town like the back of his hand.

Heading into a side street, he didn't even notice the shadow at the end of the road, following him with predatory efficiency.

* * *

_It took some prodding, but Leon's eyes eventually cracked open, and he stared at the boy sitting beside him._

"_Who are…Aleser?"_

_The boy nodded. "Yes Master Leon."_

_The face was so similar to Leon's own, but with enough differences not to fool anyone who knew the boy well. The hair was far longer and wilder, with a much more golden tone. The nose slightly sharper, face a little thicker._

_Aleser smiled, showing a mouth of sharp teeth. "Master, I am not just a normal cat."_

_A choked laugh interrupted him. "I'd figured that out by now."_

_Aleser's face moved in, taking a deep look at Leon's face. "My kind has always desired to protect the good of humanity. It is our way, but sometimes, physical protection isn't enough. It needs something for more powerful."_

_Leon blinked in incomprehension._

"_Tell me Master, what is your wish?"_

* * *

A trashcan crashed somewhere behind him, and Jonathon swung around, just in time to see a cat skitter into the alleyway with him. 

He snickered, and kept stumbling down in the dark. His mind was playing tricks on him. God he needed another beer.

* * *

"_My…wish?"_

_Aleser nodded. "What do you desire. Anything in the world, I can give it to you."_

_His final gift. The only thing he could do, the only thing that could save his Master._

"_Anything?"_

"_Anything."_

_Leon's eyes closed, thinking it over, which Aleser didn't see the point._

'_Ask me to heal you. Ask me to make you well Master…'_

_Finally, the eyes opened, and the blonde stared at his pet._

"_I wish my family was happy."_

_Aleser's world crumbled._

* * *

Jonathon was in the final alley before he hit the main streets again when another noise behind made him swing around. 

"Okay, I didn't make that one up."

A growl echoed around the walls, and a clawed hand came into view, closely followed by a large body.

Jonathon paled. This had to be the drink. There was no way he was seeing this.

The man's face wasn't altogether there, probably high on some drug, but the rest of him was close to feral. He was barefoot, his shirt slightly unbuttoned, hair wild and tangled.

But his presence, the sheer energy he was throwing at Jonathon, it was horrifying. There was no way this guy was human.

"I mus' be imagi-"

He didn't finish his sentence, choosing to scream as the man roared, and leapt towards him, claws bared and blood splashed against the walls.

* * *

_Aleser looked at his Master in horror. _

'_No…you were meant to wish for your health, not…this."_

_But the wish had been made. He couldn't get Leon to change it._

_At the end of the day, it was just a sign of Leon's personality. That which drew Aleser to him in the first place._

_He just hated what Leon's 'wish' would require. _

_He wanted his family to be happy. They could only be happy if Leon was okay, but Aleser could not defy fate unless specifically asked. _

_So it would require something far, far gruesome._

_He slipped back under the bed just before Leon's parents came in, and waited underneath the bed until night, when the two left to talk to a doctor, Aleser made his move._

_When Leon's heart monitor suddenly flat lined, a dozen people fled to the room, only to find an empty bed…_

* * *

D stopped in the street, frowning as his trail started to fade. 

"I should have brought Ten-Chan. Or T-Chan."

Q-Chan didn't seem to be listening however, staring into an alley. When he started growling, D turned to see him fly straight into the dark street, only to fly out again to D's side with a frightened "Kyu!"

"If you're looking for my pet, you should head down the alley two stops down. You should be able to follow the trace from there."

D tensed as the figure came into view, his almost perfect mirror image, smirk quite happily perched on his face. It only seemed to widen as D's defensiveness.

"You seem surprised to see me. Did you really think I would leave such a rare prize alone when he's so close to returning to its full potential?"

D's eyes narrowed. "You're the reason the seal broke before its time."

He was answered with a shrug. "It could have taken six months to break that seal completely. And the perfect opportunity to finish it off came in such close vicinity, how could I wait?"

"How did you know the contract had ended? You cut ties with the Pet Shop years ago."

His father walked towards him, hands folded across his chest.

"Oh I keep my eye on a few old mistakes. Aleser was my largest. Such an incredible being, thanks to instinct, being forced to serve humans. When I realised what that pathetic child's 'wish' was, I almost wished he was alive just so I could kill him."

He was circling D now, revelling in his knowledge. "I assume you want him for your own collection?"

"He is my friend" D defended. "And I wont deny that having a winged lion in my possession wouldn't give me some satisfaction. But most of all, I want him because I know being with you will destroy him."

His father chuckled. "That's one opinion."

He started to walk away. "Pursue him if you want, I've already set plans in motion to take him in myself, but feel free to stake your claim. As long as he's no longer contaminated by human blood, I'm satisfied for now."

D gritted his teeth, but didn't follow.

He had a very confused lion to find.

* * *

_Aleser stopped running once he was half a mile away from the hospital, far enough to stay hidden while close enough to return when required, and carefully placed Leon's body on the ground. He was unconscious, but his heart was still beating. Death was minutes away._

_The winged lion quickly stripped the boy of his hospital gown, and stroked the blonde hair from the boys face._

"_I will fulfil your wish master. But please forgive me for what I must do."_

_His claws slashed across the boy's chest, and Aleser's jaws dug into the flesh._

_The only way to fulfil Leon's wish was to create a false Leon, but there was no way that Aleser could fool them forever. He could take Leon's form, though it wouldn't fool anyone who knew what to look for, but his personality was not Leon's, he did not have enough memories._

_So we would have to take them from Leon directly. Devour him whole while his heart was still beating. Create a false shell that could hide his true form, and inherit the memories of his master._

_Winged Lions were protectors of humanity, but that did not mean they would protect all. They cared only for the good. And in the past, that often required killing anyone who would harm those being protected._

_And after a death attempt, winged lions weren't big on leaving their wards, so they would devour the body. If it was filled with evil, the taste was almost delectable._

_Leon was not, and his body's flesh tasted tainted, rotten, though some of that was probably from his sickness._

_Part of Aleser wanted to throw up, to walk away, but he persisted._

_And when Leon's body, bone's and all, were inside of him, his body began to contort and twist, hurting in ways he'd never thought possible. His fur slipped behind pink flesh, his claws detracted, his senses dulled…_

_He collapsed, choking as he felt Leon's sickness hit his new body. Immediately, his powers began to fight the disease, doing what modern medicine could only attempt. He stumbled to his new feet, and walked towards the hospital. The doctors would assume their treatment had merely had a delayed reaction._

_When the hospital came into view, he hesitated, seeing everyone rushing around. There was still one last step to take before the hospital staff could be allowed to find him._

_Sinking into his mind, he isolated his own memories, and sealed them away._

_As his body collapsed from the loss of what made Aleser, Aleser, he gave a small smile._

'_You wish is granted Master…'_

_The world went black…_

* * *

Leon's eyes snapped open, and blinked several times trying to wipe the new memories flooding his head, almost wincing at the hypersensitivity his senses were throwing out, until the stench of blood overpowered his nostrils, both sickening and enticing at the same time. 

He looked down, to see clawed hands covered in blood, and the half eaten corpse of Jonathon Waverly in front of him.

Leon jerked back in horror, not sure what to focus on.

"_whathappenedwhathappenedohgodisthisbloodwhywhywhywhatisthattasteinmymouthgodpleaseletthis beabaddream…"_

He already wanted to scream. Scream and never stop screaming.

But then his body began to literally rip apart at the seams, and he had a whole new reason to scream. He huddled to the ground, hearing his clothes rip away and feeling his flesh fall apart from him, forcing him to four legs. A tail slipped out, and two lumps burst from his back. All around him, the final shards of a ten-year-old seal shattered to pieces, and he roared to the sky before bolting out of the alley.

And straight into the astonished D.

* * *

The kami had finally managed to relocate the trail, when the animalistic roar hit his ears, and the large form rushed out in front of him, fully revealed in the moonlight, and D's face fell in pity. 

The seal had been formed when Aleser was just a cub, and the false shell had seriously damaged his growth. His fur and mane were in bad condition, the upper body looked too large for him, while the legs and lower body were far too thin, and his wings, not having burst from the back before the seal had been created, had been forced into hideously malformed shapes that hung in a painfully unnatural way on his back. He doubted they were even capable of working, let alone flying.

"Oh Aleser. No wonder father was so angry at that wish…"

He couldn't see the more human form of Aleser, probably too soon after returning to his true shape, but the lions head swung in his direction at the sound of his voice, and the lion hissed.

"You…you did this…"

D kept his movements slow and non-threatening, well aware that Leon, Aleser, was not himself and he had to act with care.

"Aleser, you have to come with me now. I will take care of everything."

Aleser snarled. "My name is Leon!"

D shook his head. "No. That was the name of your master. You know this is true."

The lion shook his head, backing away. "No, NO! I am Leon. Leon Orcot, not…THIS!"

"Aleser" D tried to soothe him. "If we don't get out of the street, there will be problems. No doubt the police have been called from the noise, and if they find the body-"

"SHUT UP!"

D jerked back as Aleser lunged towards him, narrowly missing the claws. The lion swung around to try again, but stopped, ears pricking up.

"Oh no…"

D frowned. "Aleser?"

Aleser backed off a few steps, and then bolted down the street.

"Aleser! Leon!"

* * *

**To be continued . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry it took so long. Got obsessed with the 2007 Transformers movie. But danke danke for bearing with me._

_Had a major issue with the first half of the chapter in that I knew what I wanted to happen, but I couldn't physcially write it. I eventully had an epiphany and realised that if I couldn't write it, don't bother, and make it happen as fast and as simply as possible. Hopefully that solution works._

_  
Enjoy, and R&R_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"Jill, the Chief wants you in his office."

The brunette had been heading for the door, and swung round with a glare on her face.

"Tony, my shift's over, I'm heading home before I become a permanent fixture around this place."

The other detective shrugged. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. He just wants to see you."

As if in response, the chief's door slammed open, and the man glared out.

"Jill! Get in here!"

The woman sighed, and begrudgingly walked into the office.

"Chief, my shift's over."

Her senior nodded. "Relax, I just need a favour from you. The mayor just called me about a situation we have in the South West of town, and I need someone to get a hold of Count D."

"Situation?"

Jill paled.

"Please tell me it doesn't involve rabbits…"

The Chief shook his head. "Nope, something marginally bigger. Apparently some big company hot shot had rare kind of big cat imported into the city, but the damn thing's escaped and on the loose. Animal Control is already en route, and he's got his own men going after it with tranquillisers, the mayor seems pretty desperate to get this thing back alive. Something about loosing support."

Jill frowned. "A big cat loose and he wants us to capture it in one piece?"

"Supposedly its pretty tame, just frightened. Either way, the Count should be able to calm it down, but he's not answering his phone. I would call Leon, but he's in no shape to be working."

Jill nodded. "I'll stop by Chinatown. Just try to keep it in one piece before he gets there."

* * *

The sound of sirens was agony on Leon's ears, and he increased his speed, bounding through the streets. These were not streets people walked late at night, so only a few had run screaming into building from the large cat.

He ran past the corner and skidded to a stop at the police cordon. Behind it was large trucks both blank and bearing the 'Animal Control' symbol. As he slowed, the doors opened, and men holding heavy rifles began to aim at him.

His ruined wings jerked in agitation, and he tried to turn back, only to feel the pin pricks shoot into his side. Leon roared in anger, and merely quickened his pace down the street.

He couldn't keep up the pace however, as he began to stumble, and the painless darkness closed in on him.

* * *

D bit his lip as the sirens reached his own ears, and he slowed his pace as the trucks came into view. As he neared the cordon, several trucks drove off, and he felt Aleser's presence vanish with them.

"So father, that was your plan…"

"Count D!"

The Kami's head jerked in the direction of the voice, and nodded to the chief who was walking over.

"Good evening. What is all this about?"

The chief of police frowned. "Jill never got in contact with you?"

D shook his head. "I heard about the commotion and came to look. What happened?"

He got a sigh and shake of a head in reply. "Some guy decided to get some kind of lion as a pet, and instead of doing the smart thing and getting it via you, tried to import it himself. Thankfully nobody seems to have been hurt. Right now we're taking it to the zoo for the holding pens, the idiot who bought it can collect it tomorrow."

D had to admit; his father had a sound strategy. Why go to all the trouble of catching the winged lion when you could get humans to do it for you. But it did mean he had only a small window to get him out from his father's clutches.

"Chief" he began. "Could you do me a favour?"

* * *

Sluggishly, Leon pried his eyes open, wincing at the headache pounding in his head. He struggled to sit up, the odd weight on his back throwing off his balance, and stared in incomprehension at the bars surrounding him.

"I'm in a cell?"

He tried to stand up, only to experience the odd feeling of having two bodies. His hands and feet were definitely still on the ground, he could feel the gritty floor beneath him, but he was still standing, his hands obviously clear of the ground. He brought them up to his face, and cursed in despair, feeling the low growl curl up in the back of his throat as the sharp claws adorning his fingers came into view.

"Shit, it wasn't a dream."

He wasn't in a cell, he was in a cage. That weight on his back were his mutilated wings, his other set of 'hands' were paws on the ground.

And that sweet taste just in the back of his mouth was…

His human form collapsed to the ground, digging his claws into his long, thick hair, and screamed. The roar coming from his throat would have scared anyone into leaving him to his solitude.

Everyone but D.

"Oh Aleser, I wish this could have gone differently."

Leon's head jerked up, and his eyes narrowed at the figure at the bars.

"Oh wonder-bloody-full" Leon growled, moving as far back as he could. "As if my life couldn't get any worse."

* * *

D stared at the blonde man in the cage with genuine sympathy, and not for the first time, dammed his father.

'_You caused him so much pain, and for what?'_ the Kami mused. _'Because you weren't willing to wait a few months to let him come to terms?'_

He knelt down so that he could be eye level with the big cat, and tried to relax his body in an attempt to calm him. It worked, somewhat, as some of the tenseness left Leon's figure, and he inched forwards the barest fraction.

"Aleser" he began, mentally frowning as the lion flinched. "You have a choice to make. Tomorrow my father, your old master, will come to take you back to him. You can accept this, or come back to my pet shop."

Leon stared at the Kami, and gave out a bitter laugh.

"Are you kidding D? I **ate** a guy! They'll put me to sleep or have a bullet between my eyes in the next couple of hours. They wont give a man-eater up to anyone, especially not you!"

But D shook his head. "The story being told is that you were being imported from a foreign country, and escaped from your cage after an incident at the docks. You ran through several streets, but attacked no one. There were no injuries."

Leon's face paled. "That's…that's not…possible" he gasped. "I saw the body, I felt his…argh!"

His eyes shut and he slammed hands over his ears as he tried to curl into a ball. "It will be found D, and I'll get what I deserve."

Count D sighed. "The body is gone. My father knows how to cover his tracks. Mr Waverly will be listed as a Missing Person, but his body will never be recovered."

Leon's body trembled. "But I'll know" he whispered. "I wont forget what I did, I can't. The taste, the feeling, it…dammit D up until I snapped out of it I was _enjoying_ it!"

"You're a carnivore evolved to enjoy the flesh of evil" D explained. "And that man was hardly pure of heart. Certainly not evil, but his actions would have made it easy for you to stomach him. You will have to accep-"

"Shut up!" Leon snarled, lunging to the front of the cage, swiping a large paw in D's direction, forcing the Kami to jerk back. The Chinese man stared at the snarling beast, body tense, before sighing and moving closer once again.

"Aleser-"

"Leon!"

"Aleser" D corrected. "If you do not come with me, my father will take you in, and force you to forget everything. He will regress you back to a cub, so that he can mould you as he wishes. Do you really want to forget Leon? Or Chris?"

Leon's eyes widened. "He can't do that…"

But he knew, even without seeing D shake his head, that he could. D's father had performed far more impressive feats than wiping out memories in the short time he'd been with him, no matter how hazy those memories were."

"If the seal had been allowed to break naturally, he wouldn't have needed to" D explained. "It was designed to give you time to receive your old memories, everything that you were, so that you could accept it and return to your true form. My father was selfish and forced it to break long before you were ready, and its you who paid the price. Aleser, don't allow him to win like this, you know you don't belong with him."

Leon glared at him, and turned away, beginning to pace along the bars.

"I don't belong _with_ anyone" he snapped. "I belong to myself."

He winced internally as his heart throbbed with that statement. Regardless of his anger, something within him didn't believe that. He belonged to someone or something, he just didn't know who or what.

D nodded in slight acceptance. "True, you do not truly belong with either my father or myself. Your race desired to protect all that was good in humanity. But my father will not give you the chance to do that again. At least with me you will be safe. Protected until your new ward comes to you."

Leon stayed silent, but as his pacing crossed D's path one again, D slipped a hand through the bars and stroked the winged lions chin. Leon froze in surprise, and D took the chance to bring his hand up, softly petting the muzzle.

Barely aware of anything, other than the notion that this was _so_ good, Leon closed his eyes and let himself drift slightly closer to the Kami, a low purr in the back of his throat. No wonder animals flocked to D if this was the effect he had on them.

Seeing that the lion had effectively been turned to mush, Count D smiled.

"I doubt my father ever had this effect on you. In your heart you know you long for the pet shop, even if it is just temporarily."

The purring trailed off, and Leon opened one eye to stare at D, though he didn't quite have the strength to pull away from the soft attentions.

"Come with me Aleser" D continued. "Allow me to teach you what you have forgotten. Let me shelter you, help you, and most of all, care for you."

They stayed in that position for several minutes, the only sound was Leon's low purring as he thought the question over. Eventually, he reluctantly pulled himself away from D's hand, and resisting the urge to go right up to the bars in an attempt to get both on his fur, Leon backed off, staring at the Kami.

"…How?" he began. "You can't get me out of here."

D smiled, and pulled back a sleeve of his cheongsam.

"By giving you the chance to be reborn" he replied, and sliced the flesh open with the sharp nails of his other hand. Leon jerked back in shock as the sweet, tangy smell reached his nostrils, and he shook his head, backing away once again.

Slowly, the arm was slipped into the cage, the blood well within reach.

"Do you remember Wong?" At the barely noticeable nod, D continued. "He was a totetsu, hiding in human form much like you, only without the seal and with his memories intact. I couldn't bare to see him destroyed, so I made him the same offer. He resides in the pet shop now, though you know him as-"

"That damn goat!" Leon shrieked, putting two and two together far faster than D had though possible for him, and chuckled.

"Correct. He is now T-Chan. He regressed himself to a far younger and smaller form. Eventually he'll return to his full strength, but for now he resides quite comfortably. This is no doubt what my father intended to do to you, only I will not touch your memories. Taste my blood, and allow this form to die. I will take your spirit to the pet shop, and return you to the form you had before this seal was formed."

"Why?" Leon whispered, eyes not leaving the blood. "Why a rebirth?"

D smiled. "Well if nothing else, it would give you a chance to regrow those wings" he replied. "And things will come back easier to you in a familiar form."

The arm raised itself slightly.

"What is your choice Aleser? Will you come home with me? Or will you return to my father?"

* * *

D kneeled by the cage, the blood from his wound trickling down to stain his hand as he tried to catch the eyes of the impressive creature behind the bars. It was Aleser's decision now.

True, he hadn't originally considered this until Aleser was captured, but perhaps a new start had been the only true option all along. It could even be used to his benefit, much like T-Chan's original incarnation. Aleser, was so used to living in his long dead masters image for so long, it was hardly a surprise he could barely remember who he truly was with the illusion stripped bare.

Slowly, he lifted his arm once again, within easy access if the creature was willing to come to him. Seeing the still torn feature on the lions face, he urged him one more time.

"Aleser, Leon Orcot is dead. He has been for years, and you have more than fulfilled your end of the contract. It's time you came back home, no matter which one that may be."

It was an unusual sight, a small Chinese man kneeling with his arm inside a cage, centimetres from the mouth of what most would consider a disfigured lion. Had they been privy to D's own sight, they would have seen a blonde man staring at the offering. Slowly, his clawed hand reached for the blood, before pulling back as if burned.

"My name is Leon."

D's eyes narrowed in anger. Was Aleser truly going to cling to that charade?

Leon sighed, staring at the blood, and then into the Kami's eyes.

"I mean, if I do this. If I...start again with you, I want to be called Leon."

D eyes softened, and he smiled in relief.

"So be it."

Leon finger's slipped through blood, and brought it to his lips.

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Hey Count."

D smiled at the woman entering his shop. "Ah, Miss Jill, what do I owe this visit?"

Jill gave a sad smile. "I'm afraid its business Count. I need to ask you a few questions."

D nodded in understanding. "This is about Leon isn't it?"

"He's been missing nearly four days now. And with that disaster with the lion..."

"Please, sit down. We'll have some tea."

As Jill expected, Count D seemed to have no idea about where the missing Detective was, and seemed more interested in one of his pets, who had been sleeping in his arms since she came in. It seemed to be a simple cat, if it wasn't for the strange lumps protruding from its back.

Eventually, by the time her tea was cold and she was heading back, her curiosity had to know.

"By the way Count, what kind of cat is that? Is it sick?"

D gave her one of his classic smiles.

"Oh quite the contrary my female Detective, he is very well, just tired from a rather...stressful journey. My friend here is a very rare species from Europe. He may look big, but he's still little more than a kitten."

"Wow" Jill replied, reaching over to stroke the cats back. "He'll be pretty big when he's full grown. When did you get him?"

D stroked the animal underneath its chin.

"Oh, not very long ago. I never expected to acquire him in my life, but circumstances have led to him coming into my possession."

Jill laughed, still lightly stroking the cat. "I can't imagine you being unable to find anything Count. What's his name?"

D smiled.

"Leon."

Jill's hand froze, and she looked at the Count, who merely nodded.

"Good day Detective."

Jill nodded back, and headed up the stairs, stopping about halfway up to look back. D and his 'pet' were at the bottom, watching her.

"Come on Jill,' she said to herself. 'There's no way."

The cat yawned, and turned his head to look at her with large blue eyes.

As D walked back into his shop, Jill too began moving again, the smell of incense in her nose and the memory of a cat's too blue eyes in her mind.

* * *

_And its finished!...sorta. Might do another chapter on Leon coming to terms with living in the pet shop (all the Leon-is-an-animal fics always seem to end with him staying at the shop, but never go into what life is like for him after that decision, so I'd like a crack at it), but for now, I can happily enough say _**The End.**

Again, R&R

Luki.


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